Two New Editorials

[John_Clements]

Hi

Wow, that line about the hammer and emotionalism is priceless! I simply must use that sometime. Really good comment. So true. People get emotionally invested in a tool even though they often haven't the knowledge or experience to adequately evaluate it. I think the problem is their identity and self-esteem becomes entangled in the escapist role-play of "owning a real sword" that by default makes them a "real warrior."

And then some marketing nonsense out there, such as this vibration silliness, will take on a sort of mantra quality among the web ignorati making the whole problem of educating people about real swords more difficult.

JC

[Jeffrey Hull]

One of the more boggling reviews at a sword-review site was for a certain sword which, as the reviewer wrote, the designer/maker:

*stated that he wanted to design a European sword "that I could really use". *

An furthermore, the reveiwer wrote:

*It is obvious that the end result is a European sword that has been designed by someone with a lot of experience using the Japanese katana.*

Of course, the context of the review was far larger than the quotes. However, said quotes do make one ask why the European martial artist should be interested in the "product" in the first place. <img src="/forum/images/icons/confused.gif" alt="" />

More significantly: Should not such a designer/maker question his own understanding of historical European swords and swordsmanship, rather than insist upon offering something which fits his own paradigm?

I guess the review at least served the purpose of broaching that subject.

JH

[Jeffrey Hull]

Well said JC &amp; JC.

Well yeah, a lot of the stuff on sword-review sites is really of a "show-off" nature -- look what I am wealthy enough to buy, and fatuous enough to post for everyone to oggle.

Sure, having a bunch of medieval replica weapons is certainly a nice thing. Yet do the cyber-collector-dudes really think that having a fleet of weaponry means as much as someone who own maybe two or three weapons, or even just one weapon, but who actually knows how to wield the thing?

It should go without saying that the more time spent bragging and posting and photographing and describing and blah, blah, blah...about one's collection means the less time actually training with whatever part thereof may possibly be authentic, in a (hopefully) martially sound manner.

JH

[JeanryChandler]

Good point, though having said all that, I would add that I am glad that people, for whatever reason, are putting out photographs, stastistics and whatever quality evaluations of replicas online.

I may sometimes think some of the grandiosity can be silly, the perspective of evaluation sometimes suspect, and I may even be a bit jealous of all these nice weapon collections that I can't afford, but I am glad that the interest is there, that the information is available for me to pick through, and that a lot of better weapons are being produced.

Our agenda is not identical to that of the collectors, but there is overlap for sure, and we should try to work with them to the extent possible even while pointing out fashion drift, consumer hype, and etc.


J

[JeanryChandler]

I was just thinking of another egregious example, which set off some alarm bells in my head. A company which I won't name fairly recently released a replica object based on the "sword" in the original conan movie. This replica wieghed something like 8 lbs (about half the weight of the original movie prop!), and cost a staggering amount of money (well over $2000).

There is nothing wrong with re-making a movie prop for movie fans, except the review I read described it in a fairly serious way as if it was a real sword, going on with some gravity about the center of percussion and the handling characteristics. Handling characeristics? You might as well fight with a sledge hammer! If I ever had to fight for my life, I'd love for my opponent to be saddled with an eight pound sword under 40" in length, it's more suitible for clearing brush than anything resembling fencing. To be fair, they did point out the weight was 'heavy', but IMO they took it way, way too seriously. The review realy belonged on something like toy's R us.

This is on a respectable web site which I often turn to for research, and still do. But I did have to wonder about the quality of the information I was getting from this very professional and useful site... it is an example of how the wishful fantasy thinking which apologizes for serious replicas that weigh 4 lbs can stretch into patently ridiculous territory... which discredits the reviewer and the entire industry.

J

[Joe Fults]

Interesting articles and thread.

Effectively all of my experience is on the collector side of this discussion. I have 1 NTP 1.0 Seminar under my belt and a very little practice, but I'm trying to learn more about the art and ARMA is the only effective tool I've found for that. While I am reluctant to post to this thread, since I feel I lack knowledge and experience to address the topic here, I will note that as a collector and novice practicioner I'd love to have a place to go for reviews from WMA authorities. Something other than just the places designed to serve the collector community.

It should also be remembered that the reviews in question are not targeted to a WMA audience. To collectors, and perhaps only to collectors, the opinions and observations of other collectors can be valid. However, I can see that as I move towards practioner, their value is diminished.

[John_Clements]

Ouch, I think you are being harsh, Jeff. Anyone who likes swords well enough to collect them, buy them, write about them, appreciate them and try to learn more deserves some respect. Not everyone has to be a martial artist swordsman any more than someone who enjoys artwork has to be a painter or sculpter. My commentaries were certainly directed toward the needs of practitioners to point out our perspective is very different than the interests and needs of the "collector."

JC

[JeffGentry]

So John yea liked the analogy? <img src="/forum/images/icons/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I have never been able to figure out why people say to block with the edge, even before i found ARMA i knew that was not right, that is something i guess i will never understand it just make's no sense to me a sharp knife is alway's better than a dull knife.

you know in all reality i would much rather have a rusty, old, plain handle, look's like crap found in the river thames authentic made in the 13 century i paid 100 dollar's for than to have a hundred "replica's" made in the 21st century inaccurately and never been used.

To me the one fished out of the river would be better, just to think that maybe some actual warrior had carried this in battle and laid his life on the line because in it's day when it was new it was the haighest quality and had survived all these year's, that is a quality weapon, i cannot collect i like to play with my toy's and i tend to break alot of thing's because i want to see just what they are capable.

[JeanryChandler]

this conversation is taking place on a number of different levels....

[Patrick Kelly]

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[JeanryChandler]

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[Patrick Kelly]

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